Ground has broken on what will be the world’s tallest hybrid timber tower and the anchor building of a precinct which the NSW Government hopes will establish Sydney as a leader in innovation and technology.

On Thursday, the NSW Government joined leading tech firm Atlasian, developer Dexus and backpacker accommodation provider YHA to mark the start of the 39-storay Atlasian Headquarters building in Sydney.

Set to open in 2027, the building will serve as the focal point of the Tech Central Precinct, which the government hopes will transform the area surrounding Sydney’s Central Station into a leading innovation and technology precinct that will accommodate as many as 25,000 workers.

Upon its opening, the 39-storey building – constructed using a combination of mass timber, concrete and steel – is expected be the world’s the world’s tallest hybrid timber structure.

Targeting a six-star NABERS rating, the tower will be organised into six discreet but interconnected ‘habitats’.

Each habitat is a freestanding mass-timber construction which is supported within a steel exoskeleton.

A naturally ventilated zone will be akin to an outdoor garden at each level.

As a result of its timber hybrid structure, the building hopes to achieve 50 percent fewer carbon emissions compared with a conventional construction project.

It also aims to achieve 50 percent less energy consumption and operate on 100 percent renewable energy from day one.

The new building will be home to the global headquarters of Atlassian, and will be co-located with major education, creative and start-up businesses as well as YHA backpacker accommodation and retail and food and beverage on lower lobby levels.

Atlasian will be joined by other tenants including Afterpay, Canva, ROKT and Safety Culture.

The tower is being developed by Dexus and has been designed by New York based SHoP Architects and Australian architects BVN.

Of the 25,000 workers to be located in the Tech Central precinct, 5,000 will be housed in the Atlasian HQ building and 4,000 will be located in the Atlasian headquarters.

NSW Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade Alister Henskens welcomed the start of construction.

“We are incredibly proud to see Atlassian’s Australian HQ come to life at Tech Central, progressing our goal of delivering the world’s most sustainable, inclusive and creative innovation precinct,” Henskens said.

“This iconic building will play a vital role in supporting NSW talent attraction and retention efforts and become a beacon for the technology industry.

“In a fierce global skills market, on its completion the building will boost our market competitiveness and welcome 5,000 future technology and supporting industry jobs, in addition to creating over 800 construction jobs.”

 

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